In Pakistan, nuclear power is provided by six nuclear reactors in two commercial nuclear power plants with a net capacity of 3,545 MW from pressurized water reactors. In FY2023, Pakistan's nuclear power plants (NPPs) produced a total of 24.054 terawatt-hours of electricity, which accounted for roughly 18.65% of the nation's total electric energy generation. Pakistan is the first country in the Muslim world to construct and operate commercial nuclear plants, with first being commissioned in 1972.Nuclear power in Pakistan, Dr. Zia H. Siddiqui and Dr. I.H. Qureshi, pp.31–33. As of 2025, there is one NPP (Chashma-V) that is under construction and expected to produce 1,200 MW of electricity. Only one NPP, KANUPP-1 has been decommissioned, after a 50-year run in 2021. Under its current policy to address its energy security, the country plans on constructing 32 commercial NPPs by 2050, with a combined generation capacity of 40,000 MW to meet 25% of the nation's electricity demands.

The nuclear power in Pakistan is regulated through the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), which grants licenses and their renewals, while the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) manages the operations of the NPPs. Due to the country's refusal to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and accept full-scope IAEA safeguards, the imports and access to the reactor technology has been restricted by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). In the past, Canada partnered with Pakistan in providing the nation's first nuclear power plant in 1965 and later, China and the IAEA has provided support in providing the nuclear power plants since 1993 at address its challenges relating to energy security.

History

In 1960, the plans on the construction for nation's first nuclear power plant were submitted to the Ayub administration by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, with support from the Abdus Salam who was serving in capacity as Science Advisor to the Government of Pakistan at that time. In fact, it was Abdus Salam's efforts that led to the approval of the country's first commercial nuclear power plant at the Paradise Point in Karachi, Sindh. During this time, the Ayub administration successfully negotiated the Canadian government that allowed the GE Canada to work with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in designing and constructing the country's first commercial nuclear power in 1965.

In 1965, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission's Centre for Nuclear Studies (CNS) was able to design and construct its own small reactor, known as the Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor (PARR-I) in Nilore. The fuel bundles were for this reactor were, however, provided by the United States Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC) through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for research and training purposes only. The first commercial nuclear power plant was design on the basis of CANDU-type which was earlier offered to India (in 1955) but Canada had its priced at US$ 10 million which was too expensive for the country's taxpayers to afford.

The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission eventually negotiated with the GE Canada to redesign the reactor for Pakistan-specific needs, which resulted in a CANDU-type pressurised heavy water reactor and it featured stark differences in the reactor designs supplied to India by Canada.

Start of commercial nuclear power On 28 November 1972, the country's first nuclear power plant, the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP), was commissioned and went online with nation's electric grid system. Reportedly constructed at the taxpayer's cost of US$23 million , the commissioning of KANUPP reactor provided a distinction to Pakistan as a "first in the Muslim world to have an operating nuclear power station."

In 1973, the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's administration entered in several nuclear power agreements with France, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom but Zulfikar Ali Bhutto administration's refusal to be a party of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) restricted any meaningful agreements with any of the European nuclear fuel suppliers.

After the India's first nuclear test in 1974, Canada and France became party of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) that restricted any cooperation on nuclear power with the country unless the country becomes the party of the NPT. In the absence of the foreign cooperation, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission worked on feasibility studies for its own power reactor and had secured funding for the nuclear power plant at the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant from the Zia administration in 1980. In 1985, the project was delegated to the former Soviet Union who later decided against participating in the project. Benazir Bhutto's administration again held unsuccessful negotiations with France on participating in the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant in 1990."Pakistan: Details on Bhutto-Mitterrand News Conference," Islamabad Domestic Service, 21 February 1990 Eventually, the Sharif administration entered in successful negotiation with China for the construction of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant in 1993."Agreement with China on Power Plant: "Safeguarded" By IAEA," PTV Television Network (Islamabad), 12 August 1992; Proliferation Issues, 20 August 1992, Pg. 16 On 14 September 2000, the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant was commissioned and went online with the country's grid electric grid system.

Since 2000, Pakistan has signed multiple bilateral agreements with China in expanding its energy needs through nuclear power at the Karachi Nuclear Power Complex and the Chashma Nuclear Power Complex that has alleviated its economy and provided energy security to the country. The agreement with China on acquiring the nuclear power reactor technology was entrusted and transferred through the International Atomic Energy Agency's remedial and its safeguards.

International cooperation China

Since 2000, Pakistan and China have signed multiple bilateral agreements on the issues of nuclear power under the IAEA's permission and safeguards. Outside China, Pakistan is the only country that has commissioned and successfully operates the Chinese pressurized water reactors.https://www.uxc.com/smr/uxc_SMRDetail.aspx?key=CNP-300 Info on CNP-300 at Ux Consulting In 1993, China agreed on supplying the CNP-300 reactor, which Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission had to conducted several lengthy safety and quality assurances tests.

Cooperation of China and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with Pakistan's nuclear power expansion has been critical for Pakistan's energy security matters since the hydroelectricity has been a subject of political controversies between the four provinces of Pakistan. In 2005, the Ministry of Finance had approved for the construction of the second nuclear power plant in Chashma Nuclear Power Plant, alongside a separate safeguard agreement between Pakistan and IAEA allowed the country to operate the nuclear power plants under the safe manner and only be used only for power generation. Under the 2005 Energy Security Agreement signed between Pakistan, China, and the IAEA, it is expected to increase power generation through nuclear power by 2030.

Since 2000, Pakistan has commissioned Chinese-exported pressurized water reactors at its sites in Karachi and Chashma. The cooperation between China and Pakistan on commercial nuclear power plants has attracted controversies due to Pakistan being nonsignatory to the NPT treaty. The Pakistan and China have refuted and rebuffed the controversy with China informing the IAEA that the nuclear power reactors' exports are under the IAEA terms as all the nuclear power plant sites are placed under the IAEA inspections and international safeguards.

India, which is also not a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, has been critical of Pakistan's nuclear power expansion and has criticized the safety design features incorporated into the nuclear power reactors exported to Pakistan from China.

France

In 2009, the Gillani administration held talks with French government on cooperation relating to reactor technologies, which was said to be a "significant development" between two nations by the Gillani administration's Foreign ministry. Contrary to the Gillani administration expectations, the Sarkozy presidency was careful in its response, which was only interested in nonproliferation issues with Gillani administration."

In 2013, the French Ambassador to Pakistan, Philippe Thiebaud, opened the option of "civil nuclear cooperation at request" between two nation in line of international obligations. In spite of engagement between two nations in 2009 and 2013, no agreements have been reached between two nations owing to the France's strategic ties with India.

United States

In a U.S.–Pakistan strategic dialogue on 24 March 2010, Pakistan pressed for a civil nuclear cooperation deal similar to that with India, though the request was denied by the United States but the talks were held on nonproliferation matters.

Japan

In 2011, President Asif Ali Zardari unsuccessfully persuaded Japanese government on signing a civil nuclear agreement that reflected the similar contract between India and Japan on nuclear cooperation; this was denied by the Japanese government.[ Japan denied the civil power cooperation with Pakistan]

Before the state visit of President Zardari, Japan held talks with Pakistan which was focused only on nonproliferation issues and stability in South Asia.

Nuclear power plants + Nuclear Power Plants in PakistanCommercial Nuclear Power Plants Acronym Reactor UnitType Commission Status Decommission Lifetime Net Capacity Karachi Nuclear Power Complex Chashma Nuclear Power Complex Total NPPs active:6 Total gross capacity of active reactors:

Research reactors +Research reactors in PakistanFacilityAcronymPurposeReactor UnitTypeCommissionStatusPower OutputPakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & TechnologyKhushab Nuclear ComplexTotal research reactors active:6

Nuclear Fuel cycle

After 1974, Pakistan has worked independently in its ability and capability to developed indigenous nuclear fuel cycle. The front-end and the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle technology was developed at its Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology laboratory while the atomic energy commission conducted several studies with the Geological Survey of Pakistan for the prospect of uranium exploration.

There are several uranium mining sites throughout Pakistan where the mineral excavation and refinement of ores took place, most of the which the reservations are owned by the Ministry of Energy (MoE) for nuclear fuel cycle. Built in 1980, the Kundian Nuclear Fuel Complex is a premier facility where nuclear fuel bundles for the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant are manufactured. The uranium conversion facility in Islamabad converts the yellowcake (uranium oxide or urania) into the uranium hexflouride (UF6) gas before commencing the industrial enrichment at Gadwal Enrichment Plant for nuclear power production for the nuclear power sites in Karachi and Chashma.

In 2006, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission was approved for funding by the federal government to construct the Pakistan Nuclear Power Fuel Complex to locally manufacture fuel bundles for the Chasma Nuclear Power Plant. Unlike the Kundian, Gadwal, and Islamabad, this facility is under IAEA safeguards with regular inspections and monitoring of its operations.

In 2015, the Ministry of Energy sat a target of producing of triuranium octoxide (U3O8) per year from 2015 to meet one third of anticipated requirements then.

Nuclear reprocessing